Sacred Texts Hinduism Index Previous Next
Buy this Book at Amazon.com
The Grihya Sutras, Part 1 (SBE29), by Hermann Oldenberg, [1886], at sacred-texts.com
1 1. Now (follows) the Vaisvadeva (sacrifice).
2 2. The rite of the sacrifice has been explained.
3. Let him pour oblations of prepared Vaisvadeva food in the evening and in the morning into the (sacred) domestic fire.
4. 'To Agni svâhâ! To Soma svâhâ! To Indra and Agni svâhâ! To Vishnu svâhâ! To Bharadvâga Dhanvantari svâhâ! To the Visve devâs svâhâ! To Pragâpati svâhâ! To Aditi svâhâ! To Anumati svâhâ! To Agni Svishtakrit
svâhâ!'—having thus offered the oblations belonging to those deities,
5. He then shall offer Balis (i.e. portions of food) in the centre of the floor to the same deities; (then another Bali with the words,) 'Adoration to Brahman and to the Brâhmanas!' and (with the verse), 'Vâstoshpati, accept us' (Rig-veda VII, 54, 1) in the centre of the floor to Vâstoshpati.
6 6-7. He then distributes Balis, from the left to the right, through the different quarters (of the horizon, to the presiding deities) in due order (with the words),
7. 'Adoration to Indra and to those belonging to Indra! Adoration to Yama and to those belonging to Yama! Adoration to Varuna and to those belonging to Varuna! Adoration to Soma and to those belonging to Soma! Adoration to Brihaspati and to those belonging to Brihaspati!'
8 8. Then (turned) towards the disk of the sun, 'Adoration to Aditi and to the Âdityas! Adoration
5. 'He shall offer a Bali to those deities, i.e. to those ten deities to whom he has sacrificed, to Agni, &c. (see Sûtra 4), addressing them with the word, "Adoration (to such and such a deity")—because in the other cases the word "adoration" (namah) has been prescribed for the Bali.' Nârâyana.
to the Nakshatras, to seasons, to months, to half-months, to days and nights, to years!'
9. 'To Pûshan, the path-maker; to Dhâtar, to Vidhâtar, and to the Maruts'—(thus) on the thresholds.
10. To Vishnu on the grindstone.
11. 'To the tree'—(thus) in the mortar.
12. 'To the herbs'—(thus) where the herbs are kept.
13. 'To Parganya, to the waters'—(thus) near the water-pot.
14. 'Adoration to Srî'—(thus) in the bed at the head, 'to Bhadrakâlî at the foot.
15. In the privy, 'Adoration to Sarvânnabhûti!'
16. Then (he throws a Bali) into the air, in the evening with the words, 'To the night-walkers,' in the morning with the words, 'To the day-walkers,' and with the Verse,' Which gods' (Rig-veda I, 139, 11).
17. To the unknown deities to the north, and to Dhanapati (i.e. the Lord of treasures).
I8. With the sacrificial cord suspended over the right shoulder he pours out the remnant to the south with the verse, 'They whom the fire has burnt' (Rig-veda X, 15, 14).
19. When he has made his offerings to gods, fathers (i.e. Manes), and men, let him give food to a Srotriya (i.e. to a learned Brâhmana).
20. Or let him give alms (of food) to a student.
21 21. Let him immediately afterwards offer food to a female under his protection, to a pregnant woman, to boys, and to old people.
22 22-23. Let him throw (some food) on the ground for the dogs, for the dog-butchers, and for the birds.
23 23. Let him eat nothing without having cut off (and offered as a Bali) a portion thereof.
24. (Let him) not (eat) alone,
25. Nor before (the others).
26. With regard thereto it has been said also in the Rik,' In vain the fool gains food' (Rig-veda X, 117, 6).
84:1 14, 1. The rules regarding the Vaisvadeva sacrifice stand here, as I have already pointed out in the German edition, p. 142, in a very strange position amid the matter that concerns the student, and before the description of the ceremony that concludes studentship (the Samâvartana; III, 1). On the first word of the chapter, atha, Nârâyana observes that thereby the householder is marked as the subject of the following rules. It seems rather forced to explain the position of this chapter, as Nârâyana does, by pointing out that in some cases, for instance when the teacher is away on a journey, a student also can eventually be called upon to perform the Vaisvadeva sacrifice (comp. below, chap. 17, 3).
84:2 This Sûtra shows, according to Nârâyana, that the Vaisvadeva offering does not follow the ordinary type of sacrifice (the Pratisrute homakalpa, as it is termed above, I, 9, 19), but the form described in the Agnikâryaprakarana, above, chap. 10, 3 seq.
85:6-7 6, 7. The distribution of Balis begins in the east, which is the part of the horizon sacred to Indra; it then proceeds to the south, the west, the north, which are sacred respectively to Yama, Varuna, and Soma. Finally the Bali belonging to Brihaspati and the Bârhaspatyas is offered, according to Nârâyana, to the north-east.
85:8 The commentators (see p. 142 of the German edition) differ as to whether âdityamandala means the disk of the sun towards which this Bali should be offered, or a place or an apartment of circular form (âdityamandalarûpe mandalâgâre, as in my opinion we ought to correct the reading in Nârâyana's note).
86:21 Comp. Böhtlingk-Roth s. v. suvâsinî, and Professor Bühler's note on Gautama V, 25.
87:22-23 22, 23. Probably these Sûtras should be divided after iti.
87:23 'Pûrvam means, he should not eat before his relations (bandhubhyah pûrvam prathamatah).' Nârâyana.